.338 Lapua Magnum 1

.338 Lapua Magnum

.338 Lapua Magnum

.338 Lapua Magnum cartridgeType Rifle

Place of origin Finland

Service history

Used by Multiple official and civil users

Wars Afghanistan WarIraq War

Production history

Designer Nammo Lapua Oy

Designed 1989

Produced 1989–present

Specifications

Parent case .416 Rigby, .338/416

Case type Rimless, bottleneck

Bullet diameter 8.58 mm (0.338 in)

Neck diameter 9.46 mm (0.372 in)

Shoulder diameter 13.82 mm (0.544 in)

Base diameter 14.91 mm (0.587 in)

Rim diameter 14.93 mm (0.588 in)

Rim thickness 1.52 mm (0.060 in)

Case length 69.20 mm (2.724 in)

Overall length 93.50 mm (3.681 in)

Case capacity 7.40 cm3 (114.2 gr H2O)

Rifling twist 254 mm (1-10")

Primer type Large rifle magnum

Maximum pressure 420.00 MPa (60,916 psi)

Ballistic performance

Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy

12.96 g (200 gr) SP 1,019 m/s (3,340 ft/s) 6,734 J (4,967 ft·lbf)

.338 Lapua Magnum 2

16.20 g (250 gr) Partition 897 m/s (2,940 ft/s) 6,516 J (4,806 ft·lbf)

16.20 g (250 gr) Lapua Scenar GB488 VLD 910 m/s (3,000 ft/s) 6,634 J (4,893 ft·lbf)

19.44 g (300 gr) Sierra HPBT MatchKing 826 m/s (2,710 ft/s) 6,632 J (4,892 ft·lbf)

19.44 g (300 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD 837 m/s (2,750 ft/s) 6,810 J (5,020 ft·lbf)

Test barrel length: 660 mm (26.0 inches)Source(s): Accurate Powder[1] Lapua (690 mm; 27.2 inches) barrel[2][3][4]

The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm) is a specialized rimless bottlenecked centerfire cartridgedeveloped for military long-range sniper rifles. The Afghanistan War and Iraq War made it a combat-proven roundwith ready and substantial ammunition availability. The .338 Lapua is a dual-purpose anti-personnel andanti-materiel round, but its anti-materiel potential is limited, due to the bullet's lower kinetic energy compared withthat of the .50 BMG's 35.64-to-55.08-gram (550.0 to 850.0 gr) projectiles. The loaded cartridge is 14.93 mm(0.588 in) in diameter (rim) and 93.5 mm (3.68 in) long. It can penetrate better-than-standard military body armourat ranges up to 1,000 metres (1,094 yd) and has a maximum effective range of about 1,750 metres (1,910 yd).Muzzle velocity is dependent on load and powder temperature and varies from 880 to 915 m/s (2,900 to 3,000 ft/s)for commercial loads with 16.2-gram (250 gr) bullets, which results in about 6,525 J (4,813 ft·lbf) of muzzle energy.Non-C.I.P. conforming British military issue overpressure .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges with a 91.4 mm (3.60 in)overall length, loaded with 16.2-gram (250 gr) LockBase B408 very-low-drag bullets were used in November 2009by British sniper Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison to establish a new record for the longest confirmed sniperkill in combat, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd).[5][6]

In addition to its military role, it is increasingly used by hunters and civilian long-range shooting enthusiasts. The.338 Lapua Magnum is capable of taking down any game animal, though its suitability for some dangerous game(Cape buffalo, hippopotamus, white rhinoceros and elephant) is arguable, unless accompanied by a larger "backup"caliber: "There is a huge difference between calibers that will kill an elephant and those that can be relied upon tostop one."[7]

History

Initial developmentIn 1983, Research Armament Industries (RAI) in the United States began development of a new, long-range snipercartridge capable of firing a 16.2-gram (250 gr), 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) diameter bullet at 914 metre per second(3,000 ft/s) that could penetrate five layers of military body armour at 1,000 m (1,094 yd) and still make the kill.After preliminary experiments, a .416 Rigby case necked down to take a 0.338-inch (8.6 mm) bullet was selected,since this diameter presents an optimum of sectional density and penetrating capability for practical spin stabilizedrifle bullets (bullets up to about 5 to 5.5 calibers in length).[8] The .416 Rigby is an English big game cartridge thatwas designed to accommodate 325 MPa (47,137 psi) pressures. One of the disadvantages of these old cartridgecases, which were intended for firing cordite charges instead of modern smokeless powder, is the thickness of thesidewall just forward of the web. During ignition, the cartridge's base, forward to the bolt face, is not supported. Thecase is driven back against the bolt face which results in the stretching of the case, particularly the sidewallimmediately forward of the web. When the sidewall resists the outward expansion against the chamber, the pressurestretches the case thereby increasing its length resulting in the sidewall becoming thinner at that stretch point.During the process RAI employed Brass Extrusion Labs Ltd. (BELL) of Bensenville, Illinois, to make the .338/416 or 8.58×71mm cartridge cases, Hornady produced bullets, and RAI built a sniper rifle under contract for the U.S. Navy. RAI found that the BELL cases did not fulfill the requirements. Pressed by military deadlines RAI looked for another case producer and contacted Lapua of Finland in 1984.[9] RAI was forced to drop out of the program due to financial difficulties. Subsequently, Lapua of Finland put this cartridge into limited production.[10] The .338/416 rifle

.338 Lapua Magnum 3

program was later cancelled when the contractors were unable to make the cartridge meet the project's velocity target16.2 gram at 914 m/s (250 gr at 3000 ft/s), due to weak brass cases.

Final developmentThe current .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge was developed as a joint venture between the Finnish rifle manufacturerSAKO and the British rifle manufacturer Accuracy International along with the Finnish ammunition manufacturerLapua, or more officially Nammo Lapua Oy, which since 1998 is part of the Nordic Ammunition Group(Nammo).[11][12]

Lapua opted to redesign the .338/416 cartridge. In the new case design, particular attention was directed towardthickening and metallurgically strengthening the case's web and sidewall immediately forward of the web. In modernsolid head cases, the hardness of the brass is the major factor that determines a case's pressure limit beforeundergoing plastic deformation. Lapua tackled this problem by creating a hardness distribution ranging from thehead and web (hard) to the mouth (soft) as well as a strengthened (thicker) case web and sidewall immediatelyforward of the web. This resulted in a very pressure resistant case, allowing it to operate at high pressure and comewithin 15 m/s (50 ft/s) of the original velocity goal. Lapua also designed a 16.2-gram (250 gr) .338 calibre LockBase B408 full metal jacket bullet, modeled after its .30 calibre Lock Base bullet configuration. The result was the.338 Lapua Magnum cartridge which was registered with C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pourl'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) in 1989. With the procurement by the Dutch Army, the cartridge becameNATO codified.The .338 Lapua Magnum fills the gap between weapons chambered for standard military rounds such as the7.62×51mm NATO and large, weighty rifles firing the .50 BMG cartridge.[13] It also offers a tolerable amount ofbarrel wear, which is important to military snipers who tend to fire thousands of rounds in practice every year toacquire and maintain expert long-range marksmanship.[14] Like every other comparable big magnum rifle cartridgethe .338 Lapua Magnum presents a stout recoil.[15] An appropriate fitting stock and an effective muzzle brake willhelp to reduce recoil induced problems, enabling the operator to fire more rounds before getting too uncomfortableto shoot accurately. Good factory loads, multiple projectile weights and factory special application ammunition areall available.[16][17]

Due to its growing civilian popularity, several high quality tactical and match (semi) custom bolt actions designedfor the .338 Lapua Magnum are becoming available. These (semi) custom bolt actions are used with other high graderifle and sighting components to build custom sporting and target rifles.

Law enforcement and military usersThe .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is in law enforcement or military[18][19] use with:•  Albania: RENEA—Sako TRG-42[20]

•  Australia: Blaser Tactical 2[21][22][23]

•  Brazil: Blaser Tactical 2—Used by special unit of Polícia Federal (Federal Police) named "COT" (Comandode Operações Táticas/Tactical Operations Commando)

•  Canada: Canadian Forces—C14 Timberwolf Medium Range Sniper Weapon System (MRSWS)[24]

•  Colombia: TAP.[25]

•  Denmark: Military of Denmark—Sako TRG-42[][26][27]

•  Estonia: Military of Estonia reconnaissance units and special forces—Sako TRG-42.[][28]

•  Finland: Finnish Defence Forces—Sako TRG-42•  France: French Army, GIGN - PGM 338[citation needed]

•  Germany: Erma SR-100,[29] AMP Technical Services DSR-1, GOL Sniper Magnum•  Greece: Anti-Terrorist Unit EKAM—Sako TRG-41[]

•  Indonesia: Kopassus—Accuracy International AWSM[]

.338 Lapua Magnum 4

•  Ireland: Irish Army—Accuracy International AWM[citation needed]

•  Israel: H-S Precision Pro-Series 2000 HTR militarized semi-custom bolt-action rifle[30][31][32]

•  Italy: Sako TRG-42[33]

•  Malaysia: Pasukan Gerakan Khas—Accuracy International AWM[citation needed]

•  Netherlands: Dutch military—Accuracy International AWSM, Sako TRG-41[][][]

•  Poland: GROM—Accuracy International AWM,[34] 1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów[35]

•  Portugal: Military of Portugal - Accuracy International AWSM[citation needed]

•  Russia: Alpha Group and SOBR—Accuracy International AWSM[36][37] and Sako TRG-42[38]

•  Singapore: PGM 338[39]

•  Slovenia: Military of Slovenia—PGM 338[40]

•  Spain: GOE—Sako TRG-41[41]

•  Switzerland: Sako TRG-42[42][43]

•  Turkey: Sako TRG-42,[44] PGM 338[citation needed]

•  United Kingdom: British military—Accuracy International AWSM[45]

•  United States: US Navy Special Warfare—McMillan Tac-338[46][47][48][49][50]

The .338 Lapua Magnum has been designated a "cartridge of interest" by the National Defense IndustrialAssociation (NDIA). It is being groomed to replace the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .50 BMG foranti-personnel long-range service in the U.S. military. On June 17, 2008, the U.S. government issued a marketsurvey to support a requirement for a Precision Sniper Rifle (PRS) to possibly replace the currently fielded BoltAction SOF Sniper Systems MK 13 (.300 Winchester Magnum) and the M40 and M24 (7.62×51mm NATO)chambered to safely fire factory produced "non-wildcat" .338 caliber ammunition.[51][52]

Cartridge dimensionsExtremely thick-walled brass results in a 7.40 ml (114 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity for the .338 LapuaMagnum. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable feeding and extraction in bolt action,semi-automatic, and automatic firearms alike, under extreme conditions.

.338 Lapua Magnum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 20 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridgeis 254 mm (1 in 10 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 8.38 mm, Ø grooves = 8.58 mm, land width = 2.79 mm and the primertype is large rifle magnum.

.338 Lapua Magnum 5

According to the official C.I.P. decisions and tables edition 2007 the .338 Lapua Magnum case can handle up to 420MPa (60,916 psi) piezo pressure. This now prevails over the C.I.P. decisions and tables edition 2003, that rated the.338 Lapua Magnum at 470 MPa (68,167 psi) maximum piezo pressure. The 470 MPa (68,167 psi) maximum piezopressure C.I.P. ruling for the .300 Lapua Magnum cartridge, which is based on the same case, was not accordinglychanged. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of the prevailingmaximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.Lapua is ambivalent on the maximum piezo pressure of this cartridge. In the article 'From an American dream to aFinnish success story'[53] by Janne Pohjoispää Lapua propagates the C.I.P. 2007 ruling of 420 MPa (60,915 psi)maximum piezo pressure. To further complicate matters the mentioned 56,000 CUP C.I.P. copper crusher pressure inthis article would translate in ≈ 447.5 MPa (64,903 psi) C.I.P. piezo pressure according to a study on the conversionfrom CUP to PSI for rifle cartridges by Denton Bramwell.[54] The C.I.P. 2003 ruling of 470 MPa (68,167 psi) piezopressure is corroborated by Lapua Australia in the 'History and development of the .338 Lapua Magnum' article byAlan C. Paulson.[55] A reverse engineering simulation with QuickLOAD internal ballistic software predicted thatLapua load their factory .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition at ≈ 420 MPa (60,915 psi) piezo pressure as Alan C.Paulson asserts in his article.The large boltface combined with the high maximum pressure means that the .338 Lapua Magnum should only bechambered in rifles that are capable of handling such large and fierce cartridges and thus high bolt thrust safely.Chambering such powerful super magnum cartridges in rifles intended for normal magnum rifle cartridges and usinghigh pressure loads can cause serious or fatal injury to the shooter and bystanders.The American .338-378 Weatherby Magnum cartridge introduced in 1998 and the American .338 Remington UltraMagnum (.338 RUM) cartridge introduced in 2000 are probably the closest currently (2007) commercially availableballistic twins of the .338 Lapua Magnum. The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is however a belted cartridge and the.338 Remington Ultra Magnum is a rebated rim cartridge.

Supersonic range performance of the .338 Lapua Magnum

Performance with C.I.P. conform cartridgesFor a typical .338 Lapua Magnum high end factory military sniper rifle like the Sako TRG-42 with a 690 mm(27.2 in) long 305 mm (1 in 12 inch) rifling twist rate barrel at sea level, 1,500 m (1,640 yd) is considered to be themaximum shooting distance for man sized targets. When using standard Lapua military 16.2 g (250 gr) loads it has asupersonic range of 1,500 m (1,640 yd) under warm summer conditions at a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s).However, to be able to maintain 80 to 90% hit probability on non-moving 45 cm × 90 cm (17.7 in × 35.4 in) reactivearmy targets, this maximum shooting distance has to be reduced to 1,300 metres (1,422 yd) at freezing pointconditions or 1,100 m (1,203 yd) in Arctic winter conditions, when the muzzle velocity may drop to 880 m/s(2,887 ft/s)—i.e. only during optimal warm summer conditions the 1,500 m (1,640 yd) maximum shooting distanceis realistically achievable.Loaded with more aerodynamic very-low-drag bullets such as the traditionally lead cored 19.44 g (300.0 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD bullet (G1 BC = 0.736) or the Lost River Ballistics J40 .338 17.5 gram (270 gr) CNC manufactured mono-metal bullet (G1 BC = 0.871) the long-range performance and supersonic range of .338 Lapua Magnum rifles can be improved. These longer very-low-drag bullets require a 254 mm (1 in 10 inch) twist rate to stabilize them. Due to the lower practically possible muzzle velocities for a relative heavy bullet like the 19.44 g (300 gr) Lapua Scenar GB528 VLD bullet it gains about 104 m (114 yd) extra supersonic range under International Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3) at a muzzle velocity of 837 m/s (2750 ft/s) when compared to the standard 16.2 g (250 gr) Lapua Scenar GB488 VLD at a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3002 ft/s). For significant supersonic range improvement the aerodynamic efficiency of the employed bullets has to be significantly improved without sacrificing a lot of practically achievable muzzle velocity - meaning that besides

.338 Lapua Magnum 6

the coefficient of drag of the projectile weight is also an important parameter for its actual downrange flightbehavior. The .338 17.5 gram (270 gr) Lost River Ballistic Technologies J40 match bullet made out of acopper-nickel alloy is one of the most aerodynamic .338 calibre bullets available. It has a 1800 m (1969 yd)supersonic range under optimal warm summer conditions at a muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2850 ft/s). This makesengaging static targets up to 1800 m (1969 yd) feasible.

Performance improvement experiments with non C.I.P. conform cartridgesImprovement beyond this standard while still using standard .338 Lapua Magnum brass is possible, but the bulletshave to be very long (over 5.5 calibers in length) and the normal cartridge overall length of 93.5 mm has to beexceeded making such cartridges wildcats. The common 254 mm (1:10 inch) rifling twist rate also has to betightened to stabilize very long projectiles. Such commercially non-existent cartridges are termed "wildcats". The useof a wildcat .338 Lapua Magnum based cartridge demands the use of a custom or customized rifle with anappropriately cut chamber and fast-twist bore. The firearm action and if a repeating arm is required the magazine(s)must also be able to cope with dimensional increases.An example of such a special .338 calibre extreme range bullet is the German CNC manufactured mono-metal18.92 gram (292 gr) LM-105 (G1 BC ≈ 0.93 – this Ballistic coefficient (BC) is calculated by its designer, LutzMöller, and not proven by Doppler radar measurements). If Möller's assumptions are correct, the LM-105 wouldhave a supersonic range of ≈ 2000 m (2200 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3,002 ft/s) under InternationalStandard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3). The 2010 version of the LM-105 bullet hasan overall length of 54.3 mm (2.14 in) or 6.33 calibers and derives its exceptional low drag from a radical LD Haackor Sears-Haack profile in the bullet's nose area. Rifles chambered for this wildcat cartridge, with a cartridge overalllength of 105 mm (4.13 in), and equipped with custom made 178 mm (1:7 inch) progressive twist rate[56] 900 mm(35.43 in) long barrels with a 2° cone-angle (the standard C.I.P. cone-angle for the .338 Lapua Magnum is 6°) conearea finished first and second at several long range competitions. Its most recent win (2007) was in an internationalSpecial Forces and police sniper competition in Switzerland against rifles chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO up to.50 BMG at ranges from 100 m – 1,500 m (109 yd – 1,640 yd). The LM-105 bullet exhibited its very low wind driftsusceptibility notably at ranges beyond 800 m (875 yd).[57] A real world average G1 BC of ≈ 0.90 to 0.93 iscommonly adopted by the users of this bullet, for making long range trajectory predictions using ballisticscalculators.[58]

The .343 Lapua Magnum LM-107 was a wildcat cartridge under development based on the standard .338 LapuaMagnum cartridge case.[59] The LM-107 was hoped to boost the ballistic performance of the LM-105 by achievingan increase in supersonic range. The 19.3 g (298 gr) LM-107 projectile design is 59 mm long and has a Haackprofiled nose and an Adams profiled tail. The rifling twist rate for the .343 Lapua Magnum LM-107 wildcatcartridge was chosen at 180 mm (1:7 inch), Ø lands = 8.72 mm, Ø grooves = 8.45 mm and loaded with the LM-107projectile has a cartridge overall length of 107 mm. The length of the neck is increased from 8,31 to 8,50 mm tosupport the bigger LM-107 bullet. Several other dimensions of the .338 Lapua Magnum parental cartridge are alsochanged. The shoulder angle gets steepened from 40° to 60° and the body taper is set at 1°. The throat area is set at a2° cone-angle. All this modifications make the .343 Lapua Magnum a fairly comprehensively revised wildcatcartridge. Out of a 900 mm (35.43 in) long progressive twist barrel Mr. Möller expected to achieve 909 m/s(2982 ft/s) muzzle velocity. If Möller's design assumptions are correct the LM-107 projectile with a calculated G1BC of 1.02 will offer a supersonic range of ≈ 2170 m (2373 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 909 m/s (2982 ft/s) underInternational Standard Atmosphere sea level conditions (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3).

.338 Lapua Magnum 7

.338 Lapua Magnum as a parent case

The .300 Lapua MagnumThe commercially successful .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge has functioned as the parent case for the .300 LapuaMagnum, which is essentially a necked-down version of the .338 Lapua Magnum. The .338 cartridge case was usedfor this since it has the capability to operate with high chamber pressures which, combined with smaller and hencelighter bullets result in very high muzzle velocities.The Finnish ammunition manufacturer Lapua got the .300 Lapua Magnum C.I.P. certified, so it became an officiallyregistered and sanctioned member of the Finnish "family" of super magnum rifle cartridges. The .300 LapuaMagnum is not commercially available and currently exists only as a C.I.P. datasheet. It is however still used by afew shooters who produce the cases from .338 Lapua Magnum brass by reshaping the shoulder and neck, andhandloading it with .30 calibre bullets.The .300 Lapua Magnum has a 7.33 ml (113 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.

.300 Lapua Magnum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 25 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridgeis 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 4.47 mm and theprimer type is large rifle magnum.According to the official C.I.P. guidelines the .300 Lapua Magnum case can handle up to 470 MPa (68,167 psi)piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximumC.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.This for rifles very high maximum allowed chamber pressure level indicates that the cases of the .300 and .338Lapua Magnum are built extremely sturdy to cope with this for rifles very high operating pressure. The large boltfacecombined with the high 470 MPa (68,000 PSI) maximum pressure makes that the .300 Lapua Magnum should onlybe chambered in rifles that are capable of handling such large and fierce cartridges and thus high bolt thrust safely.Chambering such powerful super magnum cartridges in rifles intended for normal magnum rifle cartridges and using470 MPa (68,000 PSI) loads can cause serious or fatal injury to the shooter and bystanders.

.338 Lapua Magnum 8

The 7.62 UKMThe .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge is also used as the parent case for the German designed 7.62 UKM, which isessentially a necked-down shortened version of the .338 Lapua Magnum.[60] The use of the .338 cartridge case withits capability to operate at high chamber pressures resulted in magnum case capable of producing high muzzlevelocities.The 7.62 UKM was developed by Michael Uekötter and was C.I.P.-certified in 2002, making it an officiallyregistered and sanctioned member of the Finnish "family" of super magnum rifle cartridges. The 7.62 UKM is notcommercially available and currently exists only as a C.I.P. datasheet. It is however still used by a few shooters whoproduce the cases from .338 Lapua Magnum brass by reshaping the shoulder and neck, and handloading it with .30calibre bullets.The 7.62 UKM has a 5.84 ml (90 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.

7.62 UKM maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 20 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridgeis 254 mm (1 in 10 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 2.79 mm and the primertype is large rifle magnum.According to the official C.I.P. guidelines, the 7.62 UKM case can handle up to 470 MPa (68,000 psi) piezopressure. In C.I.P.-regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P.pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

.338 Lapua Magnum 9

Wildcats

From left to right: cross sectioned and normal.338 Yogi cartridge cases compared to a factory

.338 Lapua Magnum case.

The .338 Lapua Magnum case is also used as the parent case for a hostof modified variants that are not officially registered with or sanctionedby C.I.P. or its American equivalent, SAAMI. Such cartridges whichuse commercial factory cases are generally known as wildcats. Bychanging the shape of standard factory cases (decreasing case taperand/or changing the shoulder geometry) the wildcatter generallyincreases the case capacity of the factory parent cartridge case,allowing more propellant to be used to generate higher velocities.Besides changing the shape and internal volume of the parent cartridgecase, wildcatters also can change the original calibre. A reason tochange the original calibre can be to comply with a minimal permittedcalibre or bullet weight for the legal hunting of certain species of game.Because the .338 Lapua offers a large and exceptionally sturdy,pressure resistant cartridge case that can be relatively easily reloadedand hence be reused several times it has become quite popular amongstwildcatters. With the .338 Lapua Magnum as the parent casewildcatters have created 7 mm (7 mm Katzmeier, 7 mm Fatso[61]), .30(.30-338 Lapua (Triebel), .30 Wolf), 8 mm (8 mm-338 Lapua(Triebel), LM-101), .338 (.338 Yogi, LM-105), .343 (.343 LapuaMagnum LM-107[59]), 9.3 mm (9,3-338 Lapua Magnum (Triebel)),.375 (9.5×70 ELR) and .50 calibre (.510 Whisper) variants. The current (2008) benchrest 1,000-yard (914.4 m)5-shot group world record holder Tom Sarver used a .300 Hulk wildcat cartridge, which is basically a necked-down,blown out, shortened .338 Lapua Magnum variant, to achieve a 1.403-inch (35.64 mm) diameter 5-shot group on 7July 2007.[62]

Notes[1] .338 Lapua at Accurate Online (http:/ / www. accuratepowder. com/ data/ PerCaliber2Guide/ Rifle/ Standarddata(Rifle)/ 338cal(8. 59mm)/

338 Lapua Magnum new data. pdf).[2] Lapua product brochure .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ upload/ downloads/ brochures/ 2011/

lapuaspecialpurpose2011eng. pdf).[3] VihtaVuori international reloading guide 2009 (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ upload/ downloads/ brochures/ 2011/

vihtavuorireloadingguideed9eng. pdf).[4] .338 Lapua Mag. (8.6x70) (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ en/ products/ special-purpose/ centerfire-rifle/ 23)[5] Sheridan, Michael (May 3, 2010). British sniper Craig Harrison (The Silent Assassin) breaks record, kills target from 1.5 miles away" (http:/ /

www. nydailynews. com/ news/ world/ 2010/ 05/ 03/2010-05-03_british_sniper_craig_harrison_the_silent_assassin_breaks_record_kills_target_fro. html). Daily News (New York). Accessed May13, 2010.

[6] Alpert, Lukas I. (May 2, 2010). "Sniper kills Qaeda-from 1½ mi. away" (http:/ / www. nypost. com/ p/ news/ international/sniper_kills_qaeda_from_mi_away_sTm0xFUmJNal3HgWlmEgRL). New York Post. Accessed May 13, 2010.

[7] Robertson, K: The Perfect Shot, Safari Press, Inc, Long Beach, 1999:p. 50.[8] What is the Maximum Length of a spin stabilized Projectile? by Mr. Beat Kneubühl (http:/ / lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ PDF/ Kneubuehl. pdf).[9] Nammo Lapua Oy company website (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ index. php?id=1116).[10][10] Barnes, Frank C., Cartridges of the World 8th Edition, Edited by M.L. McPherson, DBI Books, 1997, ISBN 0-87349-178-5.[12] History of Lapua (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ en/ lapua/ history-of-lapua. html)[13] Cartridges for Long-Range Sniping Rifles by Anthony G Williams (http:/ / www. quarry. nildram. co. uk/ Long Range Sniping. htm)[14] The Finnish Army found out during a test/trails program and 7 years of service that the barrels of their Sako TRG-42 sniper rifles lasted

7,000 to 8,000 rounds with Lapua Lock Base B408 factory ammunition before showing impermissible accuracy decay. The Finnish Army consistent accuracy requirement for these rifles is ≤ 1 MOA at 1,000 m. If this requirement is not met the TRG-42 gets a new barrel. This is normal practice for active high performance precision rifle operators who regard barrels as expendable items. The continuous use of very

.338 Lapua Magnum 10

powerful handloads (which results in higher muzzle velocities) resulted in much quicker throat erosion reducing the TRG-42 barrel's accuracylife to 1500 to 2000 rounds.

[15] Recoil indications at Accurate Reloading (http:/ / www. accuratereloading. com/ recoil. html)[16] In 1990, the US military Adjutant General's Office issued a legal opinion holding that the Sierra MatchKing bullet (and similar bullets of

other manufacturers), despite being a hollow point design, is not designed specifically to cause greater damage or suffering in a human target,and in fact normally does not create a wound readily distinguishable from wounds caused by conventional full metal jacket bullets, and istherefore in their opinion legal under the Hague Convention for use in war.

[17] Sniper Use of Open-Tip Ammunition (http:/ / www. thegunzone. com/ opentip-ammo. html).[18] worldrifles.com (http:/ / www. snipercentral. com/ worldrifles. htm).[19] World Small Arms Inventory (http:/ / worldinventory. googlepages. com/ ).[20] Sako TRG-42 The quest for cold-bore accuracy stops here. By Eric R. Poole, Posted: 2010-04 (http:/ / www. gunsandammo. com/ content/

sako-trg42)[21] Australian Government Contract Notice View - CN68887 BLASER SNIPER RIFLES (https:/ / www. tenders. gov. au/ ?event=public. cn.

view& CNUUID=364305F2-0A85-799C-AF8BF56B9AE3A89F).[22] Australian Government Contract Notice View - CN152254 .338 BLASER ITEMS - VARIOUS (https:/ / www. tenders. gov. au/

?event=public. cn. view& CNUUID=FC8B268D-90A9-9E16-2DAEF9853079B4FB).[25] http:/ / www. indumil. gov. co/[26] worldrifles.com (http:/ / www. snipercentral. com/ worldrifles. htm)[27] http:/ / forsvaret. dk/ HOK/ Materiel/ Documents/ Finskyttevaaben_Fakta. pdf[28] Estonia to buy sniper rifles from Finland (http:/ / shaan. typepad. com/ shaanou/ 2007/ 07/ estonia-to-buy-. html)[29] http:/ / world. guns. ru/ sniper/ sn48-e. htm[31] H-S Precision Pro-Series 2000 HTR (Heavy Tactical Rifle) (http:/ / www. hsprecision. com/ shop/ rifles/ htr. html).[32] Protecting the Holy Land by Charles Karwan (http:/ / www. tactical-life. com/ online/ tactical-weapons/ protecting-the-holy-land/ )[33] Sako TRG-42 - colmoschin.it (http:/ / www. colmoschin. it/ page/ sakotrg42. asp)[34] Nowe gromy GROM (http:/ / www. altair. com. pl/ cz-art-1660)[35] Snipers foto (http:/ / www. psk. mil. pl/ index. php?option=com_content& task=view& id=233& Itemid=285)[36] http:/ / cripo. com. ua/ ?sect_id=3& aid=90616[37] http:/ / slavs. org. ua/ sorevnovanie-sniperov[38] Waffen HQ Russian Infantry weapons (http:/ / www. whq-forum. de/ invisionboard/ index. php?s=81315bb84faffaf86b59ea51a3a2da99&

showtopic=22949).[40] 8.6 mm Mini Hecate Sniper Rifle (http:/ / www. slovenskavojska. si/ en/ armament-and-equipment/ light-infantry-and-support-armament/

86-mm-mini-hecate-sniper-rifle/ )[42] Finnish Government (http:/ / www. vn. fi/ toiminta/ paatokset/ paatos/ fi. jsp?oid=128644)[43] Swiss Army Infantriebrigade 7 - Wettkampf der Scharfschützen (German) (http:/ / www. he. admin. ch/ internet/ heer/ de/ home/ verbaende/

infbr7/ ausbildung/ wettkampf. html)[44] YLE Uutiset 6.12.2007 (http:/ / www. yle. fi/ uutiset/ ulkomaat/ oikea/ id76863. html)[45] L115A3 Long Range Rifle (http:/ / www. army. mod. uk/ equipment/ support-weapons/ 1459. aspx). British Army.[46] http:/ / www. mcmfamily. com/ mcmillan-rifles-tactical-tac-338. php[51] US Special Operations Considers A ".338" Sniper Rifle (http:/ / www. tacticalgunfan. com/ index. php?option=com_content& task=view&

id=257& Itemid=1).[52] Precession Sniper Rifle - Solicitation Number: H92222-09-PSR (https:/ / www. fbo. gov/ index?s=opportunity& mode=form& tab=core&

id=7c3671c8b65d782bbbfe7da8228f827e& _cview=1).[53] From an American dream to a Finnish success story (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ index. php?id=889).[54] Correlating PSI and CUP, a study done that shows a high correlation between CUP and PSI for rifle cartridges by Denton Bramwell (http:/ /

www. shootingsoftware. com/ ftp/ psicuparticle2. pdf).[55] History and development of the .338 Lapua Magnum (http:/ / www. custer. com. au/ Lap/ 338magnumstory. php).[56] Progressive twist rate barrels (http:/ / lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ English/ Progressive-Twist-Barrels. htm).[57] LM-105 "Dominator" (http:/ / www. lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ 8,5-mm/ LM-105. htm)[58] LM-105 Langstreckengeschoß geringer Winddrift (German) (http:/ / lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ 8,5-mm/ LM-105-II. htm)[59] LM-107 .343 Lapua Magnum (http:/ / www. lima-wiederladetechnik. de/ 8,5-mm/ LM-107. htm#)[60] The 7.62 UKM. A German 300 Magnum Wildcat Extraordinary (http:/ / www. angelfire. com/ ma/ ZERMEL/ 762ukm. html).[61] The 7mm Fatso - The Ultimate Short Magnum! by Greg Duley (http:/ / www. longrangehunting. com/ articles/ 7mm-fatso-1. php).[62] Sarver Shoots 1.403″ Group at 1000 Yards (http:/ / accurateshooter. wordpress. com/ 2007/ 07/ 09/ sarver-shoots-1403-group-at-1000-yards/

).

.338 Lapua Magnum 11

References

External links• Lapua official site (http:/ / www. lapua. com)• Lapua product brochure .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition (http:/ / www. lapua. com/ uploads/ media/

338LapuaMagnum2009. pdf)• Modern Firearms List of Sniper Rifles (http:/ / world. guns. ru/ sniper/ sn00-e. htm)• PGW Defence Technology - Manufacturer (http:/ / www. pgwdti. com/ ) (.338 Lapua Magnum and .408 Chey

Tac)• PGWDTI Timberwolf Tactical rifle (http:/ / www. coltcanada. com/ timberwolf-page. htm) (.338 Lapua Magnum

and .408 Chey Tac chamberings)• .338 Lapua Magnum reloading data at Reloader's Nest (http:/ / www. reloadersnest. com/ frontpage.

asp?CaliberID=140)• Lutz Möller's .338 Lapua Magnum Page (http:/ / lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ 8,5-mm/ 338-LM-KJG. htm)• LM-101 Long Range Bullet for a 8 mm - .338 Lapua Magnum High Performance Wildcat Cartridge (http:/ /

lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ English/ LM-101. htm)• LM-105 Long Range Bullet for the .338 Lapua Magnum (http:/ / lutz-moeller-jagd. de/ English/

LM-105-long-range-bullet. htm)• Lapua 338 Magnum, Exclusive Caliber for The New Age of Sniping (http:/ / www. 98bravo. com/

lapua-338-magnum-exclusive-caliber-for-the-new-age-of-sniping. html)• .338 Lapua Magnum - "Generation II" ordnance development program by Caina Longbranch (http:/ / www.

caina-longbranch. com/ OrdnanaceDevelopements)• C.I.P. TDCC sheet 338 Lapua Mag. (http:/ / www. cip-bobp. org/ homologation/ uploads/ tdcc/ tab-i/

338-lapua-mag-en. pdf)

Article Sources and Contributors 12

Article Sources and Contributors.338 Lapua Magnum  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=552283939  Contributors: 1kn0wtruth, Ab.chaplin, Alexander Iwaschkin, AliveFreeHappy, AmongHidden, Andrwsc,Arcades, ArdWar, Arstchnca, Astronautics, Avicennasis, Bender235, Bobblewik, Bobo192, Boris Barowski, Bryan Derksen, Cainalongbranch, ClickRick, Climax Void, Clmckelvie, Corella,Cruiserdude, D.E. Watters, Dainomite, DevastatorIIC, Dinomite, DocWatson42, Dodger67, Editore99, Flayer, Francis Flinch, Frank flinch, Freebird85, Gaius Cornelius, Gene Nygaard, Geoff B,Gnoerran, Gunnai, Gunnerclark, Hipshot49, Hydrargyrum, Icammd, Irmedic, Jackol, Jeff 8, Kanadier, Keith D, Koalorka, Koavf, Kobalt64, Last Avenue, Lightmouse, Lkegley9, Loopback007,MFIreland, Marc Aim, MarchOrDie, Marchall, Merinazo338, Michael Hardy, Miq, Modest Genius, Morriswa, Mr.fully, Muad, Musamies, Mynameisnotpj, Natalie Erin, Nicolaiplum, Night Gyr,NotAnonymous0, Oberiko, Orca1 9904, PacoCrunz, Pechblaende, Pinethicket, Pouya, Profexorgeek, PubliusFL, Qleem, Quadell, Quaeler, Quebec99, QuiteUnusual, RANDREWF7777,RenamedUser01302013, Riddley, Rjwilmsi, Rupert Horn, Ryan Scott, SB Pete, SD5, ST47, Spangineer, Srajan01, SteinbDJ, StephenReed, Tarheel95, TheDaveRoss, Thernlund, Topbanana,Twobells, Yaf, Z4ngetsu, Δ, 243 anonymous edits

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